As weather conditions change with each passing season, so too does the risk associated with aircraft ground handling. Unlike airports, airlines and ground handling personnel, the weather takes no consideration for the needs of passengers.
Wintertime in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway brings unique challenges and hazards to businesses and personnel operating aircraft. Aviator Airport Alliance confronts wintertime challenges to ground handling in its operations at 15 airports across the Nordics.
As a full-range provider of aviation services, Aviator sees an increase in deicing operations during the period of cold climate and the company’s corporate safety and compliance manager, Ola M. Bakk, explains how winter affects the ground handler’s seasonal safety preparation.
“Winter starts early for us, with a spread of stations from Tromsø (TOS) at 69 degrees north to Copenhagen (CPH) at 55 degrees north,” Bakk says. “At TOS, snowfall is not unusual in September, but across our network, the deicing season usually lasts between October and April.”
Extreme weather patterns have phenomenons such as ice, wind, temperature fluctuations and precipitation that have compounding associated risk. The winter weather creates unique challenges that must be addressed to prevent injury.
“We see an increase of extreme weather over the last few years with days when wind gusts exceeding 60 knots combined with precipitation occur almost every week,” Bakk says. “That combination gives us very slippery work surfaces.”
Decreasing the Level of Danger
To reduce the number of incidents during the winter, Aviator has elected to surpass regulatory and industry requirements for safety standards during wintertime ground handling operations. This excess to the already stringent Nordic law is based on additions to industry association framework ground operations manuals.
“We begin our policy by adding to the industry guidance provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Ground Operators Manual (IGOM),” Bakk says. “We have heightened precautions and need for greater training in response to the unique challenges we face at our airports.”
For its part, Aviator monitors some of the same weather reports used by pilots for flight planning, including Meteorological Routine Aerodrome Reports (METAR) and Terminal Area Forecasts (TAF) for weather planning.
“When we receive forecasts on extreme weather, we ensure that precautions described in our manuals are set into action at the affected airports,” Bakk says.
Using these reports, the ground handler will equip its personnel with personal protective equipment (PPE) used in winter operations, including high-visibility vests, jackets, balaclavas and gloves. During the 2023/2024 winter, some of Aviator’s stations also tried winter boots with shoe spikes to reduce the risk of personal injuries.
“Over the past decade, PPE for winter operations has seen innovations in materials and design,” Bakk says. “More modern materials such as Thinsulate, Gore-Tex and other high-performance synthetic insulations provide superior warmth-to-weight ratios, enhanced breathability and improved moisture management.”
Deicing Aircraft
Aviator performs approximately 18,000 to 20,000 deicing operations per season, with December and January serving as the busiest months. Removing ice from aircraft involves careful movement of machinery and personnel with caution during hostile outdoor conditions.
Bakk points out that while aircraft align with the wind during take-off and landing, ground support equipment (GSE) is given no such provision. The orientation of aircraft when parked can require GSE to work against the wind.
During winter, polar fronts of low-pressure areas often pass through the Nordics, bringing a combination of low temperatures and high winds. Given airplanes' lightweight and aerodynamic nature, these winds can push the machines, personnel and aircraft.
Snow and Wind Compound Problems
“Ice-covered surfaces and 60-knot winds give a really challenging work environment,” Bakk says. “If it’s icy, both aircraft and GSE can be moved by the wind, creating a substantial hazard for both personnel and equipment.”
Glycol-based compounds are used for runway and taxiway deicing, while sand is generally used on the tarmac to treat icy surfaces. Bakk says that when combined with strong winds, Aviator team members can sometimes face issues such as the sand and snow in the areas of operation if there was not careful coordination with airport authorities.
“During heavy snowfall, the ramp can get covered with a thick layer of snow quite quickly and airport authorities will prioritize snow removal from the maneuvering areas before removing the snow from the ramp,” Bakk says. “This sometimes can cause us difficulties driving our ground support equipment.”
Snow can also reduce traction that, in turn, may cause issues controlling machinery – starting, turning or stopping GSE. Besides the decrease in driving surface conditions, the snow can also lower the visibility of markings on the ground that are vital for equipment operations.
“This could make it hard to get the arriving aircraft parked at the correct position, and our staff sometimes needs to remove snow by hand just to ensure that aircraft can park correctly,” Bakk says.
Bakk adds that loaders, loading belts, trolleys and dollies all need to be clear of snow prior to use.
Changing Temperatures
In some places, the temperature might drop to an extreme -40 degrees C, and ground handlers working outside need warm clothes, which lower freedom of movement and therefore adds to the time required for a task.
According to Bakk, low temperatures have a big impact on vehicles, causing decreased visibility outside frozen windows and reduced functionality of hydraulic controls.
“Sometimes the machines can stop working entirely,” Bakk says. “On our loading belts, the belt itself could get covered with ice making cargo and bags just slide on the belt.”
Not every ground handling company uses the same equipment. Aviator itself has been on an aggressive strategy to convert modern equipment as part of its initiative to become carbon neutral.
“As we invest more and more into electric-powered machinery to lower our environmental impact, we are faced with the difficult task of operating electric GSE (eGSE) in low temperatures,” Bakk says. “The batteries lose their ability to hold their charge, this requires good planning.”
Keeping Aircraft Warm
Aircraft parked overnight require special care and attention during winter months. Some airlines will require different needs for their aircraft during winter, and ground handlers must coordinate with their airlines to provide these services during the hostile weather conditions of winter.
“In some cases, outflow valves need to be in a specific position during winter, extra chocks also might need to be used if it's windy and slippery, and in some situations, we do preventive deicing to ensure morning readiness,” Bakk says.
Tackling the Challenges
As a proactive measure, Aviator issues bulletins and adjusts recurrent training prior to the season with winter operations as focus areas. The ground handler will schedule preventative maintenance (PM) prior to winter to ensure operational reliability under stress.
“We also have the advantage that winter operations are quite normal in our areas, and our staff is experienced to operate in this kind of weather,” Bakk says. “In general, we emphasize the importance of situational awareness and following procedures during winter operations.”
The conclusion of rising to the challenge of winter operations is unnoticed, as the difficulties go unseen by the flying public. While the lack of impact on passengers is a desired outcome, the lack of awareness is something Bakk hopes to change.
“We work hard without notice, and this is thanks to preparation and training to guarantee that operations are conducted almost entirely without the passengers noticing it,” Bakk says. “When you are warm, sitting indoors and watching a snowstorm outside, send a comforting thought to those who, despite the weather, get aviation to operate without a hitch.”
This article was contributed by Aviator Airport Alliance
